Left-hander Dana Eveland was scheduled to start, but Mattingly was unsure how the rotation would unfold after Friday. That's when Cy Young candidate Clayton Kershaw takes to the mound, opening a three-game series against the Giants in San Francisco.

"The one thing we won't do, we won't mess with Kersh," said Mattingly, adding that Kershaw flew ahead to the West Coast earlier on Thursday.

This was the final game scheduled against the Nationals, who stand 65-76 and have lost six of eight. The Dodgers now head to San Francisco to conclude what was to be an 11-game road trip. They will not travel further east than Arizona the remainder of the season.